Jack FM Karaoke Contest At Thunder Valley

Jetta is a curious person. She is determined to make her skills in karaoke pay off and thus eagerly enters karaoke contests. She also eagerly hunts around for video contests along the lines of 'help the XYZ Corporation create a winning national television advertisement.' When I talk about the pleasures of community theater, however, Jetta wrinkles her nose at the idea of giving away the talent for free. And she was livid when our one commercial venture netted a pizza coupon. She's in it for cash (of course, I pleaded that there was nothing wrong with free pizza!)

So far, her commercial bias has had few outlets.

She has been eyeing the Jack FM karaoke contest at Thunder Valley's Falls Bar for several weeks, but balked at the idea behind the contest:

You already sing along to nearly every song we play...now you can maybe get paid to do it. Join Web Guy Eddie at the Falls Bar inside Thunder Valley Casino every Thursday night at 9pm. If you sing a song selected by "Jack" you'll go into the running for the $100 cash prize, and if you win that, you'll be invited back for the $1,000 final! Beginning Thursday and for the next 10 weeks You'll sing what we want and we'll pay you off if you're the best!

Like many karaoke singers, Jetta quailed at the idea of being stuck singing a song she wasn't familiar with. Nevertheless, she overcame her reluctance. We decided to try it out.

I also mentioned to E. that we were going to make a trek to Thunder Valley Thursday evening, in the event she wanted a ride up there.

Thursday evening, though, E. was nowhere to be found, and wouldn't answer her phone. That was a bad sign. In the past that kind of behavior generally indicated she was already at Thunder Valley. And she just got paid too.

So, Thursday evening, Jetta and I drove up.

Fortunately the rules were more flexible than we had initially hoped. Jetta was able to turn down one Lenny Kravitz song, before accepting the second song offered: Pat Benatar's 'Heartbreaker'. Jetta's performance won lots of applause from the audience, and Jetta was flattered by the attention. Nevertheless, despite the presence of one excellent singer, the winner chosen was someone else who sang, more-or-less well, Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab'.

At one point, I was filming Jetta, when a hirsute young man in a straw hat, together with his girl friend, said hello. I was focusing on the camera work, and didn't notice the salutation, but Jetta did, and pointed him out to me. Who was this mysterious stranger?

It was community musical theatre's local favorite, David "Turtle" Akona! He had come for the contest, but was too late (only ten entries permitted). So, he came for the company and the ambience.

Indeed, E. was already at the casino - since 6:30 p.m., playing slots. I played blackjack, but the luck was wretched (loss $260.00).

Jetta and I left at 12:30 a.m. On the way back, I played 'Back to Black' by Amy Winehouse - a newer singer whom Jetta was unfamiliar with. I also played 'Rockferry' by the better singer Duffy - a newer singer whom Jetta was also unfamiliar with. They are both Brits, it's true, but they've had sufficient exposure here. So, why the ignorance?

I've always been troubled by the tendency people have to get stuck in certain eras of music: you've got to keep updated, always, or get swept aside by the flow of time. It's like surfing through one's own time. Get stuck in 'Classic Rock' or 'The 80's' or 'The 50's' and you are already half-dead.

E. rolled in about 5 a.m. I'm afraid to ask how bad the damage was.